Grainswest - Fall 2025

Fall 2025 Grains West 12 THE FARMGATE ALBERTA FARMERS TYPICALLY SEE their products shipped far away to be processed while the province loses the value-added margin. This is changing as rural communities work to keep more food processing at home. Such develop- ment gives farmers expanded market options and shorter hauls. Canada’s Premier Food Corridor (CPFC) in southern Alberta and the Westlock Economic Region (WER) are two initia- tives that lead the way. Both are intended to create opportunities for value-added agriculture that benefit local farmers, processors and communities. As global demand and investor interest grow, these collaborations build momentum. BUILDING CANADA’S PREMIER FOOD CORRIDOR Southern Alberta is a well-equipped agri-food processing hub. It builds on its strong yields, reliable irrigation, export-ready crops and transportation infrastructure. CPFC launched in 2018 as a joint effort by five municipalities: the City of Lethbridge, Lethbridge County, the Town of Taber, the Municipal Dis- trict of Taber and the Town of Coaldale. All realized they could better capture investment opportunities as a team. “It was about having the belief that when Coaldale wins, the whole corridor wins, and so does the province,” said Sandra Dufresne, cluster development manager for the CPFC. In 2023, the corridor secured fund- ing from the five municipalities, the Government of Alberta and PrairiesCan, a federal government department that works to grow and diversify the Prairie economy. This allowed CPFC to hire staff, build a marketing strategy and attend investment-focused events and tradeshows. CPFC is exploring investment propos- als for renewable energy and greenhouse projects as well as alternative uses for sugar beets and food processing waste. The region grows more than 65 crops that often leave the province in raw form. “We want to change that,” said Dufresne. “If we can attract or expand processors here in southern Alberta, we keep more of that value close to home.” THE SOUTHERN PROPOSITION Recent announcements have raised the CPFC’s profile with investors and farmers. McCain Foods, one of three major potato processors in the corri- dor, will double the size of its facility in Lethbridge County. It’s the company’s largest global investment to date. As well, NewCold will build a $220 million state-of-the-art cold storage warehouse. It’s a welcome infrastructure upgrade for the region’s frozen food industry. Both projects reflect the corridor’s busi- ness-friendly qualities and the ability of municipal and provincial governments to move quickly on regulatory approvals. This speedy process is a big advantage on the global stage, said Rick Chris- tiaanse, CEO of Invest Alberta, which bills itself as: “The province’s lead investment attraction organization.” “In Alberta, we can get things done relatively quickly. The speed at which Alberta and Coaldale could move impressed NewCold. It took just six weeks. Investors, especially in Albertagrownandprocessed Regional initiatives pursue agri-food investment opportunities The Westlock Economic Region has big ambitions for local business development and has launched an initiative to attract value-added production of agricultural products.